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PARIS -- Renault has appointed Patrick Pelata chief operating officer, giving him responsibility for the French carmaker's day-to-day operations.

The appointment will free Renault-Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn to concentrate on the French carmaker's strategic decision-making, as well as finance and public affairs activities.

In the newly-created post, Pelata, 53, will have authority over all members of Renault's executive committee, as well as the leaders of its various regional management groups.

At Nissan, Ghosn appointed Toshiyuki Shiga in 2005 to hold a similar chief operating officer post to the one Pelata will assume October 13.

Pelata's promotion is the latest step up the corporate ladder for the 24-year Renault veteran who has managed a factory, held numerous engineering and product-development posts and played a key role in developing the French carmaker's alliance with Japanese partner Nissan.

Pelata was one of a handful of French executives who accompanied Ghosn to Tokyo in 1999, after Renault bought a 44 percent stake in Nissan.

As Nissan's executive vice president corporate and product planning, he is credited with playing a key role in the Japanese carmaker's turnaround.

Pelata returned to Renault in 2005, at the same time Ghosn became CEO, and was given responsibility for new product development in the post of executive vice president for product planning and programs.

In July, he was appointed to head the management group for Renault's Europe region, charged specifically with turning around sales in the French carmaker's core market.

Pelata retains responsibility over the European region in his new post.